Background: This study aimed at standardizing and providing preliminary evidence on the clinical usability of the Italian telephone-based Verbal Fluency Battery (t-VFB), which includes phonemic (t-PVF), semantic (t-SVF) and alternate (t-AVF) verbal fluency tasks. Methods: Three-hundred and thirty-five Italian healthy participants (HPs; 140 males; age range = 18–96 years; education range = 4–23 years) and 27 individuals with neurodegenerative or cerebrovascular diseases were administered the t-VFB. Switch number and cluster size were computed via latent semantic analyses. HPs underwent the telephone-based Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Backward Digit Span (BDS). Construct validity, factorial structure, internal consistency, test-retest and inter-rater reliability and equivalence with the in-person Verbal Fluency tasks were assessed. Norms were derived via Equivalent Scores. Diagnostic accuracy against clinical populations was assessed. Results: The majority of t-VFB scores correlated among each other and with the BDS, but not with the MMSE. Switch number correlated with t-PVF, t-SVF, t-AVF scores, whilst cluster size with the t-SVF and t-AVF scores only. The t-VFB was underpinned by a mono-component structure and was internally consistent (Cronbach’s α = 0.91). Test-retest (ICC = 0.69–0.95) and inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.98–1) were optimal. Each t-VFB test was statistically equivalent to its in-person version (equivalence bounds yielding a p < 0.05). Education predicted all t-VFB scores, whereas age t-SVF and t-AVF scores and sex only some t-SVF scores. Diagnostic accuracy against clinical samples was optimal (AUC = 0.81–0.86). Discussion: The t-VFB is a valid, reliable and normed telephone-based assessment tool for language and executive functioning, equivalent to the in-person version; results show promising evidence of its diagnostic accuracy in neurological populations.

Aiello, E., Preti, A., Pucci, V., Diana, L., Corvaglia, A., Barattieri di San Pietro, C., et al. (2022). The Italian telephone-based Verbal Fluency Battery (t-{VFB}): standardization and preliminary clinical usability evidence. FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY, 13 [10.3389/fpsyg.2022.963164].

The Italian telephone-based Verbal Fluency Battery (t-{VFB}): standardization and preliminary clinical usability evidence

Aiello, EN
;
Preti, AN;Diana, L;Barattieri di San Pietro, C;Appollonio, I;Bolognini, N
2022

Abstract

Background: This study aimed at standardizing and providing preliminary evidence on the clinical usability of the Italian telephone-based Verbal Fluency Battery (t-VFB), which includes phonemic (t-PVF), semantic (t-SVF) and alternate (t-AVF) verbal fluency tasks. Methods: Three-hundred and thirty-five Italian healthy participants (HPs; 140 males; age range = 18–96 years; education range = 4–23 years) and 27 individuals with neurodegenerative or cerebrovascular diseases were administered the t-VFB. Switch number and cluster size were computed via latent semantic analyses. HPs underwent the telephone-based Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Backward Digit Span (BDS). Construct validity, factorial structure, internal consistency, test-retest and inter-rater reliability and equivalence with the in-person Verbal Fluency tasks were assessed. Norms were derived via Equivalent Scores. Diagnostic accuracy against clinical populations was assessed. Results: The majority of t-VFB scores correlated among each other and with the BDS, but not with the MMSE. Switch number correlated with t-PVF, t-SVF, t-AVF scores, whilst cluster size with the t-SVF and t-AVF scores only. The t-VFB was underpinned by a mono-component structure and was internally consistent (Cronbach’s α = 0.91). Test-retest (ICC = 0.69–0.95) and inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.98–1) were optimal. Each t-VFB test was statistically equivalent to its in-person version (equivalence bounds yielding a p < 0.05). Education predicted all t-VFB scores, whereas age t-SVF and t-AVF scores and sex only some t-SVF scores. Diagnostic accuracy against clinical samples was optimal (AUC = 0.81–0.86). Discussion: The t-VFB is a valid, reliable and normed telephone-based assessment tool for language and executive functioning, equivalent to the in-person version; results show promising evidence of its diagnostic accuracy in neurological populations.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
executive functioning; language; tele-neuropsychology; telephone-based; verbal fluency;
English
3-ago-2022
2022
13
963164
open
Aiello, E., Preti, A., Pucci, V., Diana, L., Corvaglia, A., Barattieri di San Pietro, C., et al. (2022). The Italian telephone-based Verbal Fluency Battery (t-{VFB}): standardization and preliminary clinical usability evidence. FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY, 13 [10.3389/fpsyg.2022.963164].
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